Worried about a C-section???

Question

I'm do on July 16,2006 my doctor says if I make it until my do date the baby will weight 9lbs. I'm a very small frame person and this is my first baby and she hasn't moved down pass my pelivic bone yet so there a good chance I mght have to have a C-section. Does it hurt really bad????

Answer 1

First of all, it is normal and usual for first time moms to not have the baby drop until labor time.

I have had friends who are very tiny deliver vaginally without any trouble at all, even big babies. I've had larger friends who couldn't.

What really matters is how big the babies head is AND how well your pelvic bones move apart. You won't know until the time comes if your body can do it or not.

Also the baby's position can make a vaginal delivery easier, harder or impossible. Again, that's what the doctor will assess.

Under any circumstances, your odds of a C-section are about 1 in 4 because doctors in the US are too quick to do it and moms who are scared want them even when not necessary.

Most of the time everything goes well but ANY surgery carries serious risk and it is best to avoid anything unnecessary. You will need to trust your doc on this one, though again, many do it for convenience or because it is too much work for a delivery that doesn't look simple.

I've had 3 c-sections. One..unplanned after 2 hours of pushing. Her head was sideways and they couldn't turn it.

The second was supposed to be delivered vaginally but when my water broke, the baby was completely sideways (not just her head like her sister). They can't come that way and doctors won't try to turn a baby after the water has broken.

Because I got a vertical incision with her, my son was scheduled but of course I went into labor a day early. Still the surgery went off as planned.

It does hurt. It can be hard to get out of bed for several days and coughing or laughing hurts. Whether it is worse, I can't offer that comparison. It seems friends who deliver vaginally recover faster.

It will be longer before your tummy won't be swollen.

Best suggestion, get out of bed and walk as soon as you can. The faster and more often you move, the faster you recover. I remembered that with the last one and felt a lot better!

Don't assume the worst in advance. Everything may go very well.

Take a Lamaze class if you haven't.

If you can afford a labor coach get one. It can help things go the way you want to and make you feel a lot more secure.

Midwives are even better.

Best of luck.

Answer 2

I have several friends who have had c-sections and yes they hurt afterward. They give you meds though. BUT...I would not worry about a c-section yet. Many times the docs can be wrong about the weight of a baby...all they can do is guess. I have a friend who is 4' 10" tall and weighs less than 80lbs. have two natural births with 9 pound babies. Let me tell you she is the tiniest person I know and she did it. And as far as the baby dropping, sometimes they do not drop until the last minute. Even though people schedule c-sections like they would schedule a hair cut...remember that it is major surgery! I would not let your doc talk you into a c-section right off of the bat. I would try to have the baby naturally first and if it didn't work out then I would have the section done. I am having my third child this December and have decided to have the baby at home with a certified nurse midwife to try to avoid a c-section, among other reasons. The c-section rate is 25% and growing, and that is a little scary to me. Anyhow...take it easy and enjoy the last part of your pregnancy!

Answer 3

At 30 weeks, I was told my son weighed approximately 7 1/2 pounds and that my doctor needed to watch me very closely. Four weeks later I delivered a 5 1/2 pound healthy baby! I did have a c-section because he was breech. I had a second son c-section also. It's not too bad. The surgery itself isn't any worse than natural delivery I'm guessing. The recovery takes a little longer. I was up and walking around by the time both my kids were 24 hours old. It took about 3 weeks until I was doing my everyday things like laundry. It's not bad, I'd do it again if I could have another baby.

Answer 4

Ok, I have 3 children and I am currently 28 weeks along with my 4th. My first son, the dr. said that I was going to have a 6lbs. baby, I weighed 150lbs when I got pregnant and 245 lbs. when I delivered a 8 LBS 13.5 OUNCE BABY! And that was vaginally. So thats the first thing, no one knows how much your baby is going to weigh until that baby is out and on the scales. My second son, I delivered him 1 week early cause my water was leaking, so I was enduced, just like with my first enduced, I labored and labored and labored and couldn't dialate. So I had an emergency c-section and delivered a 8 lbs. 4 oz. baby. The c-section wasn't a walk in the park and yes there was some discomfort but you have to think, you've just been cut open and stapled and stiched closed. With my 3rd I had a planned c-section and talk about heaven. No contractions, no being checked by everybody and their momma's! lol....... I delivered at 40 weeks 8 lbs. 12 oz. and the second c-section was a breeze cause they cut in the same spot. It was a bit more tender on one side but the nurses told me that's where the dr. tied me off. This baby is a planned c-section and to tell you the truth, I wouldn't have it any other way! In my opinion, the contractions hurt worse than the c-section. And then there's always that chance that you've got to labor then have a c-section......what a waste of time! lol........Good luck with your baby!

Answer 5

I just had my baby on june 1st, and I experienced both worlds. I was in labor for 8 hours before they realized she ws breech and that I needed a c-section. They will numb your back, which is only a pinch for the needle and then you may feel a very slight tingling when they inject the epideral. During the surgery all you will really feel is a little pressure and movement while they take the baby out but that doesn't hurt at all. Then they will close you up either with stitches or staples. I had staples so I don't know how stitches feel. Then you get to sit in a recovery room until you can bend your legs on your own. The only pain I felt after the surgery was moving around (sitting up mostly) with the staples, mainly right before they came out. Getting the staples removed didn't really hurt either, only the ones that were really really pulling on the skin. Walking for the first time after I had the c-section wasn't that bad. It wasn't painful, it just felt strange. They told me not to look down, keep my head up and look straight ahead, to avoid getting dizzy. In all, it wasn't a painful experience at all. The labor contractions were far more painful for me that the aftermath of the c-section. You really have nothing to worry about.

Answer 6

The actual surgery itself...no, you'll be numbed from mid-chest down (probably with a spinal block) and you won't feel a thing, other than a lot of pressure when they push on your upper abdomen to help push the baby out of the incision they've made. It doesn't hurt though...feels sort of like having the wind knocked out of you, but not as bad. :)

Afterwards...eh, that depends on your tolerance for pain. Your doctor will (hopefully!) give you a mild narcotic that will help you fall asleep/stay asleep. Make sure you listen to what h/she tells you...no lifting anything any heavier than your baby, take stairs only once a day, etc. The hardest part about having my c-section was getting in and out of bed. If you don't have a recliner, go buy one or if you don't wnat to buy one, rent one for a few weeks. Also, your doctor might give you a binder. If he does, WEAR it! It helped me a lot.

As for the baby's size. My second son (emergency c-section) was two weeks early. They did an ultrasound right before surgery and estimated him at just over 7 pounds. When he was born, he was 8 lb. 11 oz., Your doctor could be wrong...maybe your baby isn't as large as he thinks, and you won't have to have a c-section!

Answer 7

I had a c-section and it really hurt the next day especially when they made me get up and walk around the next morning. It took 3 full days for me to fell comfortable walking around on my own. I breastfed and had lots of help at the hospital before I went home. It was well worth it because I had a healthy 8 1/2 lb baby boy. Good luck and remember all the pain that may come from this experience is worth it because in the end you will be looking at a beautiful baby boy or girl that you created.

Answer 8

There is a possibility but I would not worry about that yet without talking about the chances and your options with your doctor.

Now as far as the c-section that is different for everyone. I have had natural labor but have not ever had a natural child birth. I can tell you that after I labored about 36 hours with my first child I was thankful I would never have to do that again and just opted for a c-section with the rest of my children. I know a lot of people that have a lot of pain with their c-sections. For me the worst was right when the medications wore off. After those couple of hours I had very little pain and with all my children was up moving around the next day. Had very little problems moving around the house or carrying the babies, nursing etc. Everyone is different!
Oh and let me also add that with my c-sections the only medication I ever had was the first day. After that I never took anything. They sent me home with a bunch of stuff but I never took it!

Answer 9

i had to have a c-section with my son and the actual surgery did not hurt at all even the spinal did not hurt but afterwards when i first had to get out of the bed it did hurt alot just be sure to ask for your pain meds BEFORE you start hurting or it becomes unbearable for the first couple of days then the pain pretty much goes away just do not let it bother you if you do have to get one just be glad that you baby is happy and healthy no matter how you delivered it took me along time to discover that i felt so bad that i could not do it naturally and i felt like i had failed in some way but once i actually thought about it the most important thing was my son not how i had him

Answer 10

It will depend on your tolerance for pain and how your body responds. It is major surgery, but not the end of the world. I had a section back in 1995 and only remember the pain of having to walk the first time - that was a little rough but as time went on and I continued to move it got easier. I had my section on a Sunday and was walking around Wal-Mart on Wednesday. I will tell you this much I has a dry socket from having my wisdom teeth removed and the dry socket was much much worse than the C-section. Good luck and congrats on the baby girl.